American Steelmakers Are Thriving

Domestic producers are restarting plants that have been shuttered for years

Steel is loaded onto a truck for shipping at the NLMK Indiana steel mill in Portage, Indiana, on March 15. The Trump administration imposed a 25 percent tariff on imported steel in March. Scott Olson/Getty Images

President Donald Trump’s tariffs on steel imports have been a boon for domestic producers, helping revitalize an industry that has been in decline for decades. Following the levying of the tariffs, domestic producers have announced nine investments in recently shuttered plants. Meanwhile, U.S. aluminum companies have pledged to reopen production lines in Kentucky and Missouri.

“Our steel industry is coming back at a level that nobody thought possible. Factories are opening up all over,” President Donald Trump said at the second annual “Made in America” event on July 23.